Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ Recovery

Doctors generally avoid using words like ‘miracle,’ but it’s hard to think of a more fitting way to describe Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ remarkable recovery from a gunshot to the head in in January. The attack left her in a coma, and when she awoke, she was forced to relearn how to talk, walk, think and function again — all of which she is doing with a single-minded determination. She attends rehabilitation in Houston daily, undergoing rigorous physical and mental training. Since the shooting, she has been back to Congress once, and says she wants to return to work; she will have to decide by this coming May whether she will be able to return to her post. In the meantime, her days are full. Giffords has co-authored a book about her recovery with her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, and was spotted having dinner and attending the symphony with him before the holidays.